Sepsis survivors and campaigners from the West Midlands will be cycling over 180 miles to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster to help raise awareness of the deadly disease, which claims over 37,000 lives in the United Kingdom every year.

As part of Cycle4Sepsis, campaigners will cycle from Good Hope Hospital on 6 September and convene in London on 8 September to join health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, at a reception hosted in the Houses of Parliament by Cheryl Gillan MP, chair of the all party parliamentary group on sepsis, to share their experiences of the condition.

Commonly known as blood poisoning, sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death – especially if not recognised early and treated promptly. Around 8,900 people in the West Midlands are diagnosed with sepsis every year.

Dr Ron Daniels, consultant anaesthetist at Good Hope Hospital and founder and chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, will be leading this year’s Cycle4Sepsis: “This is the third year of Cycle4Sepsis and it will be bigger and better than ever, thanks to our loyal supporters.

“We hope that the event will help patients and healthcare professionals find out more about how to detect and treat the disease in the early stages, and maximise the chances of recovery. This year, the government has driven up care standards, but more needs to be done to raise awareness levels throughout the UK, to save lives.”

Dr Julian Hull,consultant anaesthetist at Good Hope Hospital, adds: “Over the years I have witnessed many people dying from septic shock and others suffering the long term effects of this condition. The best ways to reduce death and injury as a result of sepsis and septic shock are through early recognition, resuscitation and timely intensive treatment.

“Sepsis kills more people than breast cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer combined.  It is vital that we raise awareness of this deadly disease.”

Cyclists will provide photographs and commentary of their journey via the @UKSepsisTrust and @SepsisUK Twitter feed, using the hashtag #cycle4sepsis.